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Review: All Lined Up, by Cora Carmack

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I am definitely not a fan of football, but I really enjoyed this story!! And having never grown up in a sport obsessed state, this was quite an eye opener.

I totally loved Carson. He was a second string player with the drive of ten first stringers. I loved his heart and his drive. He wanted to do the best he could, cuz he couldn’t afford to stay, unless he got a scholarship. So he busted his butt and knew his limits. I felt bad for him when school didn’t come easy to him. But he never gave up. He was not your typical alpha male, am I’m so thankful for it.

I loved how much he needed Dallas, and wasn’t willing to leave her. He knew she was a distraction, but one he could work around. NOT having her, was more trouble. I also swooned every time he called her Daredevil. It was just too sweet.

“I can’t walk away from you because I don’t want to. There are a thousand things I want and need to do, but you trump all of them. You drive me to distraction, and all I want to do is get lost in you. All I want to do is make you lose it, too.”

Dallas was a dancer through and through. She lived dancing. But she has grown up with football being shoved down her throat also. With no mom and her dad a coach, she had no choice but to follow him wherever he went. She was so sick of football.

After having her heart broken by her HS sweetheart, also the QB, she swore she’s never date another football player. So when she met Carson, her heart was saying one thing, while her head was saying another.

Watching them move at a slow pace was quite refreshing. I’ve read so many books that they hook up almost instantly. This story definitely didn’t need it. They were both going through some things that needed time to resolve. It was the perfect pace.

Very sweet romance, with just the right amount heart. Perfect. Another winner from Cora!!

~Melpomene

Buy All Lined Up: A Rusk University Novel

Cover Reveal for Flat-Out Celeste, by Jessica Park

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I can’t tell you how excited I am to see this. I absolutely loved Flat-Out Love and Flat-Out Matt. In fact I’m listening to FOL right now. Makes me love it even more. And don’t get me started on Jessica’s book Left Drowning. That book KILLED me. So when I heard she was writing Celeste’s book, I was overjoyed. It should be released sometime near the end of May. I can’t wait!! And this cover!!! It is just plain gorgeous!!! I mean, I plan buying the kindle version and the paperback. I need this cover on my shelf.

FLC
Whether you were charmed by Celeste in Flat-Out Love or are meeting her for
the first time, this book is a joyous celebration of differences, about battling private wars that rage in our heads and in our hearts, and—very much so—
this is a story about first love..

For high-school senior Celeste Watkins, every day is a brutal test of bravery.
And Celeste is scared. Alienated because she’s too smart, her speech too
affected, her social skills too far outside the norm, she seems to have no choice
but to retreat into isolation.

But college could set her free, right? If she can make it through this grueling
senior year, then maybe. If she can just find that one person to throw her a
lifeline, then maybe, just maybe.
Justin Milano, a college sophomore with his own set of quirks, could be that
person to pull her from a world of solitude. To rescue her—that is, if she’ll let
him.

Together, they may work. Together, they may save each other. And together
they may also save another couple—two people Celeste knows are absolutely,
positively flat-out in love.

Excerpt
There was a knock at the door and Matt leaned in, swinging a brown paper bag
in her direction. “I heard Mom made stuffed peppers tonight. Last time she
made those, I nearly died from flatulence. I assume she stuffed them with her
usual repulsive ground chicken, quinoa, Brussels sprouts, and pomegranate
seed mix?”

Just the sound of Matt’s voice made Celeste relax. She smiled at him. “Based
on the smell, I believe you’re right.”

“So you didn’t eat then? I was right!” Matt flopped onto her bed and lay down,
his long body scrunching up the neat white comforter that she spent ten minutes
arranging before she’d gone to school this morning. “I thought I’d take a break
from studying and bring you something edible.”

“It smells like a burger from Mr. Bartley’s,” she said as she got up and took a
seat next to Matt. “Hand it over, thoughtful brother.”
He tightened a hand around the top of the bag. “You have to guess which kind I
brought you first.”

“How am I supposed to know?”

“Close your eyes.”

She did as instructed and felt him move the bag under her nose. Sweet, spicy…
a bit garlicky. “Aha! Boursin cheese and bacon! The Mark Zuckerberg burger!”

“And sweet potato fries and a bottle of iced tea, but you win. A burger named
after ‘the richest geek in America,’ as the restaurant calls him.”

“You will be the richest geek in America after you finish your Ph.D. Program,”
Celeste said through a mouthful of fries.

“If M.I.T. doesn’t land me in a psych unit first.”

“You only have this year left to endure. And you will hardly find yourself in
need of psychiatric care, Matthew. You are doing stupendously.”

“I’m scraping by.” Matt reached into the bag and grabbed a handful of fries and
opened her iced tea.

“You are not ‘scraping by.’ You are assistant teaching classes, excelling in your
own, and in all ways performing to standards that exceed even the high ones
our mother set for you.” She frowned as he chewed on the fries. “Did you not
eat?”

“I did. A Big Papi burger and a Fiscal Cliff. But you can never have enough
sweet potato fries.”

“I have a finite amount of my own from which you are stealing. But I shall not
complain because this was very kind of you.”

Matt chewed and studied her. “Are you okay?”

“Why do you ask?”

“No contractions. When you’re stressed out, they disappear.”

“I know. But most days I do not care to use them. If it is an effort, then I do not
push.”

“Okay. I get it.” He chewed for a minute. “I heard your presentation went well.
Did your friends like it?”

“It went marvelously. My friend Dallas took me aside to share quite the flow of
compliments.”

“That’s great, Celeste.” He was downing half her iced tea.

“And then I bitch slapped her.”

Matt choked on the drink and desperately tried to clear his airway. “I’m sorry.
You did what?”

She cocked her head. “I bitch slapped her.”

“That… that can’t be right,” he sputtered. “I mean, I hope it’s not.”

“I slapped my hand against her hand. Up in the air.” She looked at Matt
blankly. “Is that not the right term?”

“Thank God, no, it’s not. I think you mean a high-five.”

“If you say so. Well, either way, it happened. You know I have trouble with
colloquialisms, so I resent your shocked reaction.”

“I do know that about you, and I apologize.”

“Since we are on the subject, there is something else I would like for you to
clarify.”

“Shoot.”

“What is meant by ‘nut bag’? Is that a testicular reference or merely the
identification of a satchel of cashews or pecans?”

Matt groaned. “This conversation has gotten really weird. Could we just talk
about— Wait a minute. Why are you asking me this? Did someone say that to
you?” He looked angry.
Celeste picked at her fry. “No. Certainly not. I heard the term and had a natural
curiosity.”

“Okay then…” Her brother crumpled up the paper bag and then smoothed it out
in his hands. Then crumpled it again. “It’s the same as ‘nuts.’ You know,
crazy.”

“Thank you for the definition.” She took the last bite of her burger and wiped
her hands on one of the paper napkins. It shouldn’t matter what her classmates
thought of her. Celeste would just be strong about this. She would move on.

It’s going to be flat out wonderful!!!

~Melpomene

Buy Flat-Out Love

Buy Flat-Out Matt (Flat-Out Love)

jessicapark
Jessica is the author of LEFT DROWNING, the New York Times bestselling
FLAT-OUT LOVE (and the companion piece FLAT-OUT MATT), and
RELATIVELY FAMOUS. She lives in New Hampshire where she spends an
obscene amount time thinking about rocker boys and their guitars, complex
caffeinated beverages, and tropical vacations. On the rare occasions that she is
able to focus on other things, she writes.

Please visit her at jessicapark.me and on Facebook
at https://www.facebook.com/authorjessicapark and Twitter @JessicaPark24

Happenstance is LIVE!!!

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Have I mentioned how much I love Jamie McGuire’s books!! Of course I have!! Beautiful Disaster is my all time favorite book. So when she said she was writing another book, I was thrilled!!

Teaser2

#1 New York Times Bestseller Jamie McGuire returns to self-publishing with this page-turning YA account of Erin Easter, one of three Erins in the small senior class of rural Blackwell High School who not only share a first name, but also their birthday. Easter, raised by a neglectful single mom, keeps to herself and admires Weston Gates from afar. The other Erins, Erin “Alder” Alderman and Erin “Sonny” Masterson are the darlings of the community: daughters of the two wealthiest families in town, best friends, cheerleaders, and everything Easter isn’t–and they never let her forget it. Alder has even claimed Weston since the 8th grade.
Weston is a well-liked star athlete, and the son of two prominent attorneys. He struggles daily with the pressures of living up to his family name and secretly empathizes with Easter’s feeling that she belongs somewhere else; in a different life. Not until he begins sneaking nights out with Easter does he gain the courage to buck expectations and acknowledge his feelings … both for his future, and for her.
A shocking tragedy rocks the tiny town, and Easter’s life is turned upside down in the best way possible. But when the truth is revealed and everything she thinks she wanted falls into her lap, life only becomes more complicated.

My Review

Well, I LOVED this!!!! This was the perfect action packed story. So much happened and I was left fully satisfied. It was nice to have a shorter book to read, instead of another epic. With Beautiful Oblivion coming out in a few months, this was a nice little taste of Jamie’s awesomeness.

Erin Easter has a rough life. Bullying, and absent dad, and an there but not there mom, are the gist of her life. She is just trying to hold it together until she graduates, then she is out of this town. She used to love it here, with the other Erins, but at some point, it all changed for the worse.

But one day, her life seemed to change for the better. Weston actually talked to her. Soon he was sneaking out to see her and showing her that she is worth more than what these people of her.

I totally loved Weston!! He was so kind, when he finally decided to be. I loved how protective he was of her, even to his own girlfriend. I love the way he slowly began to grow a backbone and stood up for things that were wrong. When he started to care more for Erin, the words he would speak, totally made me smile. He was so very sweet.

“I can’t give up on you now. When we spend time together, I feel this peace that I don’t get when you’re not around. It’s kind of like when you’re a kid and you put on fresh PJs after a bath and get into a made bed with clean sheets straight out of the dryer. That’s what being with you feels like.”

The strength that grew from them being together, was totally needed when the tragedy of the story happened. Which then leads to the shocker of the story, which rattles the entire town. They must lean on each other, in order to get through this next phase of their lives.

I can’t wait to read the next in the series. I am dying to know what happens in their relationship and where they’re headed after they graduate.

A bonus in the book is the first chapter of Beautiful Oblivion. But I can’t read it. I need to be shocked and surprised. I never read teasers. So this is taunting me. That sneaky Jamie McGuire. 🙂

Don’t forget to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway

~Melpomene

Buy
On Amazon Happenstance: A Novella

On BN Happenstance: A Novella

Review: The Deep End of the Sea, by Heather Lyons

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01deep Because you have to sink, to the deep end of the sea, in order to rise.

WOW! This book has left me speechless. I am completely shocked with what this book held between it’s covers.

This story is about Medusa. Now I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking Clash of the Titans or Percy Jackson. Well, you couldn’t be more wrong. But I’ll admit, part of me thought that way though. But this is about love and reinventing yourself. This book is about taking control of your life and not letting all the bad things hold you back.

Medusa lives alone on an island, away from everyone. She is cursed, for something she had no control over, and is to remain there for all of her life. She has scales all over her skin, snakes on her head and her eyes are the deadliest part of her. With just on look, and you’ll become a statue forevermore.

“I am a monster. The worst kind of monster. The kind that people have told stories about for thousands of year.”

But what you don’t know is that she hates being a monster. She never wanted this. She has compassion and cries for those who see her eyes. Medusa cares for those who catch her off guard. When she turns someone, her heart breaks for them. But she cares for them, the best she can.

If it wasn’t for her friend, Hermes, Son of Zeus, I don’t think she would’ve remained sane after being secluded all these years. Even though she keeps her eyes covered, he risks death every time he visits her. Hermes was the sweetest and most caring person. He would do anything to help her rid herself of this curse.

After a stroke of luck, and with help from a few gods, her curse is reversed, and she is thrust back into the land of the living. She must become stronger and learn to rely on others to help her. She is no longer alone. And soon she realizes that Hermes is no longer just a friend. Watching them fall for each other was so sweet. Medusa has no idea how to feel about her best friend. She is overwhelmed with crazy feelings and is shocked to find out that he feels the same way.

“I’m afraid I fell in love with you shortly after we met. I told you last night you fascinated me from the very beginning. The more I got to know you, the more I found myself falling…”

And just when things seemed all calm, the past turns up and is ready to destroy everything she has worked so hard for. Again, she must learn to rely on herself and her new friends to help her through is horrible time. Dusa must be strong and remember that the past does not shape her future. She can be strong and take control of her life.

“…Violence is not picky when it comes to victims…We are part of a group no sane person wants to join, and yet we are members anyway…There is no way to exit the group once we’ve joined; all we can do is try not to let it define us.”

I will admit, the last 20% of the book had me reeling. My emotions were all over the place. The love story devastated me. And then there was a twist I never saw coming, but it made the story even more beautifully tragic. I struggled with finding the right words to use to describe this book. Nothing seemed right. This was another post that I should have just written, “Read it.” This was definitely not your usual Greek Mythology story. It was so much better than that.

~Melpomene

Buy The Deep End of the Sea

Review and Giveaway: Capturing Peace, by Molly McAdams

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01capture Well now, another winner from Molly McAdams. I gotta say, this little novella was quite a shock to me. I remember reading the first few pages, as a preview, and I was dying for more. And then, when I was given and ARC, I squealed and started it right away.

Synopsis
Coen Steele has spent the last five years serving his country. Now that he’s back, he’s finally ready to leave behind the chaos of the battlefield and pursue his lifelong dream. What he wasn’t expecting was the feisty sister of one of his battle buddies—who has made it obvious that she wants nothing to do with him—to intrigue him in a way no woman has before.

Reagan Hudson’s life changed in the blink of an eye six years ago when she found out she was pregnant and on her own. Since then, Reagan has vowed never to let another man into her life so that no one can walk out on her, or her son, again. But the more she runs into her brother’s hot and mysterious friend, the more he sparks something in her that she promised herself she wouldn’t feel again.

Can two people with everything to lose allow themselves to finally capture the love they both deserve?

Right from the start, I was intrigued with these characters. I knew this was a novella, so I really thought it wasn’t going to be an in depth story, but just a glimpse. I was totally wrong. While it was a quick read, it was just what I needed today. It had angst and romance and it left me completely satisfied. The instant connection between Coen and Reagan was totally believable. Love will strike you when you least expect it.

I am very happy I read this, cuz it gave me a glimpse into the next book. And I can honestly say, I probably would not have read it, with this novella. It touches on a very rough subject for me, and I needed this novella to give me that little push. So for that, I am grateful.

Now I can’t believe I’m about to say this. But while I really enjoyed the story, the pictures, on Molly’s website, are what brought it all together. I literally sat down and wept. It was like, I was looking inside Coen and my heart just crumbled. I’m picking the pieces up, as I type. Beautiful pictures that totally made the book more real.

I think I need another hug.

~Melpomene

Buy Capturing Peace: A Novella

Don’t forget to enter a Rafflecopter giveaway

BS-FB-CapturingPeace

Review: Four Years Later(Drew+Fable #4), by Monica Murphy

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001four Owen makes me feel like a cougar. He really does!! I should be ashamed, but I’m really not.

I knew he was going to have a great story to tell. Tragic, yes, but still great. No story is perfect after all. And since we saw what kind of life he had, growing up with Fable, are we really shocked how he behaves and lives?? Not so much.

When Owen makes one wrong choice after another, his world is turned upside down. When he is told to either stop messing up and take control, or he is done with college and football, he has only one choice to make, shape up. This is where Chelsea comes in.

“You’re not a bad seed. You’re just a flower waiting to bloom.”

Chelsea is a super shy, super smart overachiever, with a secret she wants no one to know. She wants people to just get through college without anyone knowing where she came from. She needs to tutor students in order to make ends meet. And this is where Owen comes in.

“I’m not like most girls.”
“I know. That’s what I like most about you.”

At first, their relationship is strictly tutor and student. But then soon, they find themselves wondering if they mean more to each other than that. The classic virgin and manwhore. I love how they always get thrown for a loop. Neither one sees it coming.

I felt so bad for both of them. Owen just wanted to be loved and he was willing to do some very dishonorable things, in order to produce that feeling. Chelsea was sick of her mother always choosing her deadbeat worthless father over her. She just wanted to be loved, but was to scared to go looking for it.

As they started to grow closer, you started to see bits and pieces of the broken young boy, who grew up without a mom who cared, and who tried to make every happy. He was so lost, he needed Chelsea to hold on tight and keep him together.

I loved seeing a bit of Drew and Fable sprinkled in the story. I loved seeing the way they accepted Chelsea, and knew she was perfect for Owen, even if he didn’t.

It’s sad to see these characters go. I’ve enjoyed peeking into their lives. But all good things must come to an end.

~Melpomene

Buy Four Years Later: A Novel (One Week Girlfriend Quartet)

Review: Red at Night, by Katie McGarry

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0001 red WOW. Plain and simple. I was NOT expecting to feel like this, after reading this short story. I’ve read all of Katie’s books and I’ve loved each of them, but this book is so much more.

This story is about life and how life isn’t always what it seems. It’s about people and how the littlest things turn into the biggest things. It’s about death and how we’re never ready for it, but we need to be. And last, it’s about shoes and the magical power they hold.

I will start out be saying, besides wanting to read the book, because Katie wrote it, I wanted to read it cuz the girl has purple hair. I’m silly that way. Since I saw the cover and she has the same color as my hair, I just had to read it. Who knew this short story would be such an impact on my life.

“Hope is a deadly snake with fangs of poison.”

Stella has lived such a hard life, my heart hurts when I think of it. She has been shuffled through life, knocked down, and bullied at school and basically wants to get through her senior year and get out. Being alone, with no one to catch you when you fall, has made having hope the only thing keeping her together.

Jonah has everything he possibly needs, but he is empty. After a deadly car accident, he is no longer happy in this life. He wants to live his life right, but he’s not sure how to do that.

After a chance meeting, at a cemetery, they discover that having each other, is the change they both need.

I know I cry in most books I read, but I was shocked into tears. Big crocodile tears, falling down my face. I had no idea how this message of hope would touch my heart and soul like it did.

~Melpomene

Download Red at Night (Harlequin More Than Words)

Review: Dazed(Connections 2.5), by Kim Karr

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Yum!! I wasn’t sure if reading this would ruin the fact that I still haven’t read Torn, but it totally didn’t. I’ll eventually get to it, but this was a novella, so I decided to read this one first.

Meeting Jagger is just what Aerie needed to get her trust back. He was willing to do anything for her and she realized that not all men were like Levi. I wish I could punch that jerk.

I loved seeing the sweet side of this cupcake thief. He really gave his cousin, River, a run for his money, in the sexy department. He knew just how to make Aerie feel special and loved.

I was thrilled to see River and Dahlia in this story. I loved the way they were so perfect for each other. And also seeing the joking side of River, made me love him even more.

In the end of this little novella, Aerie and Jagger got their HEA, even if they had a bit of a detour first. 🙂

I can’t to finally read Torn and then onto Mended. 🙂

~Melpomene

Buy Dazed: A Connections Novella

Play(Stage Dive #2), by Kylie Scott

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“Life is a song, Anne. Let’s play.”

I was super excited when Play released a week early!! I hurried through my current reread so I could start this one. Of course I couldn’t put it down, so that means I stayed up WAY too late. But I had to finish it!! I needed to know what was happening with Mal. While this is book 2, in the Stage Dive series, it can be read as a standalone. I love series like these.

Synopsis
Mal Ericson, drummer for the world famous rock band Stage Dive, needs to clean up his image fast—at least for a little while. Having a good girl on his arm should do the job just fine. Mal doesn’t plan on this temporary fix becoming permanent, but he didn’t count on finding the one right girl.

Anne Rollins never thought she’d ever meet the rock god who plastered her teenage bedroom walls—especially not under these circumstances. Anne has money problems. Big ones. But being paid to play the pretend girlfriend to a wild life-of-the-party drummer couldn’t end well. No matter how hot he is. Or could it?

Anne has had a crush on Mal, for years. So when she meets him, she is completely shocked at how he acts around her. He teases and pushes her buttons, but he also makes her want to tear off her clothes and jump him. This is a big problem, when decides to move in with her. When he comes up with the fake girlfriend plan, she is hesitant to go along, but she has no choice. Now if only she could tell her heart to stay out of it, everything would be fine.

But of course, that’s not going to happen, is it?

Mal seemed quite high strung and a bit crazy. I was wondering if there wasn’t an underlying cause. I seriously thought he had mental issues. He was so up and down, I was getting whiplash, just like Anne. But eventually you find out the reason behind his happy-go-lucky routine and it broke my heart. He was so sweet and kind and I never wanted him to have to go through what was happening.

I found myself cracking up half the time. I knew there was some serious issues happening, but Mal was so good at keeping the bad tucked away, you couldn’t help but chuckle at him. And while he was joking around, he very serious about Anne. He would do anything for her. I also loved the bold way he spoke to her. If he wanted her, he had a way saying plainly saying it, and yet making it come out kind of funny.

In the end, I was quite happy and sad. He deserved happiness, but I will miss his antics. Hopefully, in the next book, we’ll see a bit more of his goofiness.

~Melpomene

Buy Play (A Stage Dive Novel)

Review: Craving Him, by Kendall Ryan

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00112 My Word!!! I have been anxiously waiting to find out what happens to Ben and Emmy. This books pick up right where Working It ended.

Synopsis
Emmy Clarke is no quitter. Toughened by her experience working for fashion heavyweight Fiona Stone, Emmy has come a long way from her country girl roots, embracing her fast-paced and unpredictable life in New York City.

Though that life comes with more than a few complications.

First there’s the mystery of Fiona’s pregnancy, which may or may not involve Emmy’s boyfriend, superstar male model Ben Shaw. Emmy has always known that Ben comes with more baggage than she can handle—and not the Louis Vuitton kind. Yet Ben is the only man who has ever loved Emmy for who she is, and she wants nothing more than to do the same for him, even if it means forgiving his past and overlooking their wildly different lifestyles.

But when a shocking secret from Ben’s past comes to light, unraveling all of their progress, Emmy must decide if their relationship is worth the fight, or if it’s time to ignore her passion for him and let go.

I loved Ben and his vulnerability. He is not used to caring this much for someone, and will do anything to keep Emmy happy.

“It was hard for me to admit it but I needed her. I’d never needed anyone, but this sweet southern girl was different. She had been from day one. Her refreshingly real attitude had knocked me on my ass-floored me right from the get-go.

But Emmy still has doubts at where her relationship is going. She loves Ben but she needs to learn to relax and let things just happen. She doesn’t feel like she is worthy of someone like Ben. So he will spend however long it takes to show her.

I loved the sauciness of some of these scenes. I loved the angst filled scenes. I loved the whole thing!! At one point I had to place my kindle down and take a deep breath. My nerves were shot and I felt horrible!!

Kendall Ryan is a master story teller!! And I can’t wait to see what more she has up her sleeve.

~Melpomene

Buy Craving Him: A Love by Design Novel